July 9, 2020

Disparities in Stroke Care Put Rural Americans at Risk: Study

THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 -- Stroke patients in rural areas of the United States are less likely to get cutting-edge treatments and more likely to die than those in cities.

That's the takeaway from a new analysis of nationwide data on more than 790,000 adults who were hospitalized with stroke between 2012 and 2017. Most were 64 or older.

July 9, 2020

AHA News: Blood Test That Measures Alcohol Use May Predict Risk for Bleeding Strokes

TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- People who drink large amounts of alcohol have nearly fivefold odds of experiencing a potentially deadly type of stroke compared with those who drink very little or not at all, a new study finds.

But researchers didn't rely on people to self-report how much alcohol they consumed. Rather, they looked at blood concentrations of phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a biomarker reflecting alcohol consumption over the past month.

July 9, 2020

Stroke Appears 8 Times More Likely With COVID Than With Flu

THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 -- Both flu and COVID-19 can raise your risk for a stroke, but the odds appear to be eight times higher with the coronavirus, a new study finds.

Among more than 1,900 patients with COVID-19, 1.6% suffered a stroke, versus 0.2% of nearly 1,500 patients seriously ill with flu, researchers found.

June 19, 2020

Woman With COVID-19 Develops Serious Heart Ailment After Taking Chloroquine

THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 -- One of the drugs championed by President Donald Trump as a potential "game changer" in the coronavirus pandemic led to a potentially deadly heart rhythm disorder in a 84-year-old woman treated for COVID-19, according to a new report.

Doctors said her condition improved once they discontinued the drug, chloroquine.

June 15, 2020

Smoking a Big Stroke Risk for Blacks

WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2020 -- Smoking carries a host of health risks, and now a new study shows the habit significantly increases black Americans' risk of stroke.

The research included more than 5,300 participants, aged 21 to 84, from the tri-county area around Jackson, Miss. In the final analysis, 546 were current smokers, 781 were past smokers, and 3,083 never smoked.

June 4, 2020

Spirituality Helps Stroke Survivors, Caregivers Bounce Back

THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 -- Could a higher power help stroke recovery? People who are spiritual may be better able to deal with stroke-related disability, new research suggests.

The Italian study linked spirituality -- be it through religion or simply a strong sense of purpose and connection to others -- to a lower risk of depression for people with low to moderate disability after a stroke and their caregivers. Spirituality also appeared to improve the quality of life for both.